The Apple Tree
by Nebraskafan
Summary: Friendship does not waver merely because of the passage of time. And sometimes, the most powerful displays of such bonds can be shown in the smallest of ways. Legolas is reminded of this when he visits a now grown Estel.


**The Apple Tree**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places that are associated with "The Lord of the Rings". They all belong to J.R.R Tolkien._

_~.~.~_

_"A true friend assists readily, adventures boldly, patiently takes all, and furiously defends. He is a connection to life; a tie to the past. And a road to the future."_

"You never did tell me much on how your ride here fared, young one."

Naturally, Legolas grinned at the pressing question of the Elf Lord that was currently watching him eat, dark eyes open for any signs of injury or discomfort. The Crown Prince of Mirkwood had arrived in the middle of the previous night and had barely taken the time to inform the household of the Last Homely House, whom all greeted him sleepily. The three sons of Elrond - having been woken from their sleep - gave their friend only several hours of small talk before all passing out on his chamber floor. Legolas' amusement had been short lived when his own weariness caught up to him and he quite literally crashed on his bed as well.

Now, he and Lord Elrond were yet the only ones awake and were enjoying their breakfast on one of the half-in-half-out verandas of Rivendell's palace. Legolas was leaning leisurely against the counter directly under the bay window as he ate, legs crossed at the ankles, elbow resting on the smooth marble surface. Lord Elrond was seated at the table in the middle of the floor with his own dishes.

"Are you still unable to fathom the fact that I have arrived in your home without an injury?" the blonde Prince teased, sparkling blue eyes moving to meet the elder Elf's own.

Elrond chuckled. "That is a naive question for you to ask. Though I suppose that maybe your _horse_is in more need of tending than you, seeing as to how you always overwork every steed you take for your own."

"Anaryn is fine," Legolas remarked with a roll of his eyes, turning back to his plate. "I gave him his respite along the way. Besides, every horse I _do_ride here is always spoiled by your sons."

"That is quite true," the Elf Lord consented, smiling. "I am sure that is where Estel will head as soon as he has awoken."

No sooner had the fond words left his lips did Aragorn himself rush into the room, path straight to the fruit bowl on the counter a few feet down from the Mirkwood Prince. When he saw that there were indeed several of the luscious red apples cradled in it, a relieved smile crossed his face. "Good, you Elf hogs have not devoured them all yet," he remarked as he snatched the fruits and dropped them into the pack he was carrying.

"And good morning to you as well, ion nin!" Elrond exclaimed with incredulously raised eyebrows, sharing an amused glance with Legolas. The Elf Prince mimicked the gesture and reached across the counter, thwacking his Mortal friend quite promptly on the head with his fork.

"Elf!" Aragorn threatened, making a swipe for the archer and shooting him a glare. "I'll kill you."

Legolas avoided him easily and relaxed against the counter once more. "I am sure you will."

Making an obvious move to ignore him, the Ranger turned towards his chuckling father. "Good morning, Ada," he said sweetly and Elrond rolled his eyes.

"I am shocked you have awoken this early," Legolas remarked, bringing a cherry to his mouth. "It is not even noon yet."

"Valar, you are _oh_so funny," Aragorn replied sarcastically as he swung his pack onto his shoulder and began stride towards the leave-way of the hall. "I am most definitely leaving. And please, Legolas, do not follow me."

"Follow _you_? I would not dream of it, lewd Mortal. Every time I _do_ follow you I always fall head over heels into trouble. Or pain. So there really is no point in telling me not to follow you. There will definantly be no following. I am quite content right here. Run along, _Adan_. You will not be followed."

Aragorn stood under the arch with one eyebrow raised and his form half turned to go as he listened. When Legolas finished and waved him away with his hand, the Man rolled his eyes fondly and nodded to his grinning father before disappearing around the corner.

As soon as the sound of his soft footfalls receded, Legolas pushed away from the counter top. "I am following him," he retorted to Elrond and the Elf Lord nodded exasperatedly.

"I had perceived as much," he chuckled. The Prince grinned at him before striding into the hall, humming lightly to himself and leaving behind a bemused Peredhil.

~.~.~

As both Elrond and Legolas had suspected, Aragorn made his way to the stables in the far west side of the courtyard. The Prince leaned against the woodwork of the entrance and watched as his friend stopped at Anaryn's stall and gingerly set his pack on the ground, drawing an apple from it.

"Good morning, Anar," Aragorn said softly and the white stallion nodded his great head in return greeting, his warm eyes locked on the Ranger. Horse and Man had long been fast friends - perhaps since the first time Anaryn rode to the rescue without his rider of a captive and quite young Ranger. "Did you sleep well? I told the stable-hands to put an extra few bundles of hay in your stall as soon I knew you were going to be coming, so I hope you did."

Anaryn gently pushed his head against the Man's chest and Aragorn laughed, stroking his nose. "Good. I am sure Legolas pushed you quite hard, as always, that naive Elf. Be pleased that for awhile you will be able to avoid him in the peaceful, beautiful serenity of Imladris." The white stallion snorted at the dramatic statement and Aragorn grinned. "Elladan and Elrohir are still _shattering_the serenity with their snores," the Man added with a roll of his eyes, "but they should be out to see you soon. As for me, I have brought you a treat."

Holding up his hand Aragorn revealed the plump apple to his friend and Anaryn let loose a grateful whinny, nuzzling the Ranger's bristly cheek before relieving him of the fruit. Aragorn smiled and reached into his pack for another - which was gone as quick as the first. As Anaryn contentedly chewed his prize the Man swung his pack over his shoulder and lifted the latch on the horse's stall. "Come mellon nin, I must do something, and would like you to join me," he remarked and Anaryn leisurely sauntered from his confinement. "But you cannot tell anyone, especially Legolas, all right?"

The stallion gave a clear nod and followed Aragorn through the stable, which gained a chorus of whinneys from the mares occupying the rest of the stalls. The Ranger rolled his eyes when Anaryn took more pronounced strides and came close to sticking his nose in the air as they emerged into the glare of the morning sun. They made their way along the front steps of the veranda of the palace - but before following his Mortal friend, Anaryn turned at the leave-way of the stables and nickered softly to the Elf that had hid himself in the shadow of the wall.

"Shh, Anar, I am not supposed to be here!" Legolas hissed at his steed, pushing the horse's nose away. "Go with him, and don't you dare tell him that I am following."

The white horse snorted and nipped at the Prince's hair before turning back and trotting to catch up to the retreating Man. At the east edge of the courtyard Aragorn passed Lady Celebrial's garden and set foot on a small path along the edge of the Last Homely House, which was quite overgrown yet seemed long used. Upon this horse and Ranger walked quietly for several moments, passing the main body of the palace and continuing towards the mountains that Imladris was the cradled in.

The trek turned out to be quite a long one. Just as Anaryn was giving up hope of catching sight of anything interesting, Aragorn turned left towards the wall of trees and passed between two towering oaks that were curled inward, their top boughs nearly touching and forming somewhat of an entry-way. Intrigued, the horse passed through them and was surprised to find himself in an open glade, lit by streaks of the rising sun and littered with the falling leaves of the surrounding wood. It was empty, save for a single tree that stood in the midst of the softly glowing grass.

It was an apple tree.

For a moment; after setting his pack on the ground; Aragorn merely gazed at it, and Anaryn stood silently by the opening. The Man eventually turned and smiled at him, motioning him closer. "I suppose this seems a bit odd," Aragorn chuckled once the horse stood beside him and Anaryn lightly nudged his shoulder in the negative. "This is my secret glade. I found it a long time ago - I could not have been more than five or six years of age - and as I grew older it became my play place. No one knows of it yet even now; save Legolas. I brought him here when I was eight years old and he promised to not reveal it to anyone." A soft smile touched his face. "He is the one who helped me plant the apple tree."

Anaryn's eyes widened slightly in surprise and Aragorn nodded, moving forward and pulling one of the red fruits from a lower bough. "When I was nine, he had to leave Rivendell for the first time since I had met him, and I heard him tell my father that he would be gone for a long time. A very long time. I was furious, and upset; I could not contain myself and blew my cover. My words were along the lines of 'Fine, go then! I want you to leave! I hope you never come back, stupid Elf!'"

When Anaryn snorted Aragorn turned and shoved him lightly, an embarrassed smile brushing his countenance. "Hush, Anar, I was but a child, and a hurt one at that. But I knew that what I had said was wrong, and so I ran here, hoping no one would follow me. Legolas did. He knew where I would go, and when he showed up, I was far from angry anymore."

**~ Flashback ~**

"Estel?" Legolas said softly as he stepped into the quiet glade, his booted feet not making a sound. "Estel, I know that you are here. Will you come out, please?"

The boy peeked around the tree that he was hiding behind at the edge of the clearing, large silver eyes filled with tears. The Elf Prince's heart softened and he knelt on one knee, holding out a hand. "Come here, little one."

His gentle voice made Estel's tears overflow and the small child ran forward as they spilled onto his cheeks, fairly throwing himself into the Crown Prince's arms. Slightly startled, Legolas steadied himself before pulling the boy against his chest. "I'm sorry, Legolas," Estel whispered into the Elf's tunic. "I don't want you to leave."

"Nor do I wish to leave, either," Legolas murmured, "yet I have been here for a very long time, Estel, and my father needs me home now."

"But this _is_your home!" the boy cried, wrapping his small arms around him. The Elf sighed. "And we need you more," his young friend added almost grumpily.

"Nay, Estel, you only _think_that you need me more," Legolas corrected and Estel shook his head resolutely against his chest. "Yes, young one, it is true. My father needs me very much right now. When you are older you will understand why."

"When I get older you won't remember me anymore," the child said with surprising bitterness.

The Prince's eyes widened and he gently pushed him back, grasping his shoulders, stunned gaze locked on his young face. "How could you say that?" Legolas' voice was filled with shock and Estel fixed his eyes on the ground. "Estel, even if I wished to - which I _never_ will - I could _never_forget you!"

"But you said you were leaving for a long time," the boy choked miserably.

The Elf slid a hand under his small chin and raised his tear-streaked face, voice gentling as he replied. "I _am_, young one, though I wish I was not. But no matter the span of time I am away from you, you will never be forgotten. Even if I was to travel to the Halls of Mandos and back, there is nothing that could keep me from coming back here, to you and your family. And it will not matter if you are so old that you have to hobble around on a cane," he added playfully and Estel could not help but giggle when Legolas reached forward to tickle him.

"But really, little one, listen to me. You must know this." Legolas' tone became somber once more, yet affection still twinkled in his eyes when Estel ceased to laugh and gazed back just as seriously. "I will never forget you. I promise. I _will_come back. All right?"

For a moment the child hesitated and bit his lip, but when the Prince raised an eyebrow, he dropped his head, soft cheeks flushing with guilt. "All right," he whispered. Peeking up from under dark locks, he added quietly, "I will miss you."

Legolas wrapped his little friend in his arms once more so Estel would not see the tears that filled his own eyes. "That is all right, penneth," he murmured. "I will miss you too. But you will not have to miss me forever."

A nod was the only response he received. After several moments of silence, though, Estel suddenly whispered, "Legolas?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you... will you tell me something?"

"Of course."

Estel pulled back and gave his friend a wobbly smile. "Really?"

"Well, if you need to know, I will," the Prince corrected his reply.

"If the reason you're leaving is dangerous, can you tell me what it is?"

He should have known the 'something' would have been as such, and now that it was, Legolas was quite reluctant to answer. There was darkness growing in his home of Mirkwood and every day his people grew more wary of leaving the gates of his father's halls. Always there was a brooding shadow upon the Wood Elves. There had even began to become a number of hideous spiders that festered in the darker blotches of trees; fell creatures gaining confidence and creeping ever nearer to the heart of King Thranduil's home.

Legolas had been the lead of many scouts that tried valiantly to push the beasts back, and they had succeeded - yet only a little. The spiders had not reached Thranduil's caves. But they were there, lurking in the far forest. When it seemed as though their attacks had settled to cool embers, the Elf King had given his son leave to visit Imladris, knowing that the brave Prince needed and deserved time to relax and find serenity. His good friends, twins Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond, dwelled there, and he wished greatly to see them again. To find peace.

But when he reached the haven of Rivendell... there had been a new little guest to greet him

**~ Further Flashback ~**

_A tiny child, no more than three years of age, was cradled in Elrohir's arms when the twins met him in the courtyard. "Hello, dear Legolas!" Elladan exclaimed joyfully, embracing him. "We are delighted you have finally come to visit!"_

_"Yes, why on Arda did you stay away so long?" Elrohir piped up with a mock look of disapproval towards his friend. "It has been over a year."_

_"Nay, under a year, but long enough," Legolas replied softly, joy at being reunited shining on his face as well. Yet it was accompanied with confusion as his gaze drifted to the Mortal (at least he assumed he was Mortal) child. Though, despite the obvious Mortal features, Legolas could have sworn that something almost elven sparkled in the babe's silver eyes, which were fixed with surprising intensity on him, twinkling with childish curiosity._

_The youngest twin noticed the Prince's studying and smiled. "Legolas, we would like you to meet our little brother, Estel."_

_Legolas did not doubt that the shock that lanced across his face evaded their keen vision. Elrohir laughed and, grey eyes twinkling with amusement, reached forward and gently placed the babe in the Prince's arms. "He will not break, Legolas," Elladan chuckled fondly._

_Legolas had ceased to breathe and was holding little Estel as if he were made of porcelain, huge eyes locked with the child's own. "Ada will explain how he came to us later," the Noldo added, reaching up a hand to stroke a lock of Estel's dark hair back from his forehead; and Legolas noticed the upmost tenderness that shone in his friend's eyes as he gazed at the little child. "As for now, I believe we should inform him that you are here."_

_The twin Princes led him up the stairs towards the veranda of the palace, yet when Elrohir offered to take back his little brother Legolas furiously shook his head and held tighter to the child, still entranced with those silver eyes. Estel had begun a string of nonsense words with the archer, obviously taking a liking to him, his tiny lips stretched in a smile as he bounced in Legolas' arms and babbled._

_Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a smile over their friend's head._

**~ End Further Flashback ~**

Oddly, that small child kept Legolas in Rivendell for six years. As Estel grew - Mortal as he was - the Elf Prince found that with every day he grew fonder of him, and every day the young boy was at his side. They became inseparable. If you saw Legolas - you saw Estel. The tiny child stole and eased all of the Prince's cares by simply holding his fingers, or smiling at him, or crawling into his lap. Lord Elrond and his sons watched joyously as the heartache and weariness was smoothed from Legolas' face, until the sound of his silver laughter was heard frequently throughout the realm.

There he dwelled for five years, and continued to write his father and tell him his wish and reason to stay. King Thranduil consented.

Until a day in the month of March.

Orcs had suddenly invaded Mirkwood's outer defenses, and a horde of them had swarmed the forests to join the spiders. Hard-pressed to keep the creature from reaching his palace grounds, the King was finally forced to call his son home, for the Prince was their finest warrior. And so Legolas realized - with no small amount of dismay - that he must leave those who he considered family and that which he considered his second home.

Right now, Estel wasn't making it any easier. Returning from his musings and raising his eyes once more to the child's expectant features, the Elf Prince sighed. "I am afraid those are matters that you do not need to know of quite yet, little one," he murmured.

Estel's lower lip immediately produced itself in a pout, and despite himself, Legolas burst into fond laughter. This only seemed to agitate his young friend even more. "Fine, then I'm not talking to you anymore," Estel huffed, turning his back on the amused Prince and sticking his nose into the air.

"Well, that just ruined my day," Legolas remarked, pouring as much hurt into his voice as he could - whilst fighting back a grin. "I honestly do not know what to do now that Estel has refused to talk to me. Maybe I should simply leave right now."

With a dramatic sigh he stood, yet - as he had suspected - he did not get far. Estel launched himself at him and curled his small fingers in the Elf's cloak. "No, Legolas, you are _not_leaving!"

Smiling, Legolas turned back and gently released the child's grip. "All right, not yet," he said and Estel graced him with a glare. "But I have to leave soon." Turning his gaze towards the sky, he sighed. "Very soon."

"When?"

"When the sun is at its highest. In... in a little under a quarter hour."

"That's _too_soon!" Estel was appalled and threw his arms around Legolas' waist, burying his face against his tunic.

"I know," the blonde Prince murmured, hugging him tightly, dismayed to hear a catch in his own voice. "But it must be. I am sorry, Estel." Slightly dreading another bout of tears from the child, Legolas added, "How about we do one last thing together, like..." He glanced around, and blurted the first thing that he saw, "like plant a tree?"

Pulling back from the Elf, Estel gave his friend a strange look, as if Legolas had suddenly grown another head. "Plant a tree?"

"Well, it is something!" the Prince laughed. "Do not look at me like that. I am not _that_naive."

Giggling, Estel made his way around the glade until he found what he sought. When he returned to his friend he gingerly set an apple core in the Elf's outstretched palm and grinned up at him. "Let's plant an apple tree."

Legolas took the offered item and leaned down so he was on eye level with his friend. "Before we do, I want you to know something," he murmured softly. "As long as this tree stands, the promise that you will always be in my heart will never break."

Estel smiled. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"And Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"Your other promise, that you'll come back for-"

"Yes, Estel, I will keep that promise as well."

"You better."

"I will."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"Promise promise?"

"I promise promise."

"...Promise?"

"Estel."

"All right. But you promised six times. So you better come back."

"Ai, Elbereth..."

**~ End Flashback ~**

Legolas' face shown with awe, his midnight eyes glistening with shock as he listened to the Man's soft voice, hidden behind one of the oaks. Never in a millennia would he have expected to see that the apple tree that he and Estel had planted sixty-three years ago would still be standing in the beautiful glade, obviously tended and trimmed with care. The leaves shone with twinkling dew, and the apples that dotted the wing spread boughs looked as if they were red blossoms, blushing with the light of dawn.

The tree was beautiful. But, to Legolas, the tree was not what caused his heart to abruptly overflow with warmth. It was the realization that for seventy years Aragorn had continued to care for a simple tree that they had planted, which had been merely to distract a heartbroken boy from what - at the moment - had seemed the most tragic parting of his life. But when Legolas finally returned after so many years to Imladris and tarried there with a now grown Aragorn, not once did his thoughts stray to Estel's secret glade, or the apple tree.

But Aragorn had cherished it. Every time that he returned home to Rivendell from the Wilds the Ranger would take time out of each day to slip quietly away to the clearing and tend to the tree. It had been the only thing that had made him feel that he was still connected to Legolas somehow, even as he grew and the innocence of childhood left him. His reverence for keeping the tree tended did not, nor did the hope that he and his friend would reunite someday. Even when they had been brought together again, Aragorn had not been able to conjure enough confidence to share his seemingly foolish task with the Prince. And so life returned to its normal pace, and not a word was said.

Returning abruptly from his recollections, Legolas rose his eyes once more and leaned around the oak to watch as Aragorn fondly scratched Anaryn's ears and held the apple up to the horse's nose. "I meant to show him that I have remembered it," the Man murmured softly, "yet now that he is here I find it rather childish. Do you think he would laugh?" The white stallion snorted and stamped his front hoof, making the Ranger chuckle. "Well, I do."

Sighing, Aragorn patted Anaryn's neck one last time before moving to the tree and sliding along its trunk to sit beside it, leaning back against the rough bark. For a while he lifted his silver gaze to the sky and watched the tiny flittings of light through the canopy of trees. Anaryn contentedly grazed on the fresh grass of the glade, letting the Ranger sit in peace. It was quiet except for the soft sounds of the forest, and soon they began to lull Aragorn towards sleep. The Man let his head rest back and closed his eyes, stretching his long legs out in front of him before settling down, his mind at ease in the beauty of the day and the sense of being safe at home, away from worries, if only for a while.

He had just slipped into a light doze when he was broken from his daze. Something quite hard - he could not immediately identify what - suddenly hit him on the top of his head and he sat up with an un-characteristic-like yelp, standing quickly and moving into the automatic stance of defense, silver eyes wide. Aragorn had just noticed that Anaryn was no longer in sight when the sound of silvery laughter filled the glade.

And suddenly, Legolas leapt from the branches of the tree and landed noiselessly in front of him, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. "What - Legolas, what on Arda are you doing here?" the Man stuttered, not knowing whether to feel angry or embarrassed.

"I was dropping some eaves." Bringing up his hand, the Elf threw an apple into the air and caught it, a grin quirking his lips. "Or some apples."

First: anger. "Legolas Greenleaf, if you EVER throw an apple at my head again, I will kill you slowly and hide you in the wine cellar!" Aragorn grit through his teeth and Legolas rolled his eyes. "You could have startled me into doing something stupid!"

"You do stupid things anyways," the Prince remarked curtly, "so it really would not have mattered."

The Ranger glared at him. "Why did you follow me?"

"Why _wouldn't_I follow you? By saying 'Legolas, do not follow me' you practically goaded me to come along." Legolas smiled softly, his voice dropping all tease in less than a second to be replaced with warmth. "I am glad that I did. I cannot believe this, Estel."

Aragorn's cheeks flushed slightly and he dropped his gaze. Then: embarrassment. "Believe what?" he mumbled.

"This." Legolas swept his hand towards the apple tree, smiling once more. "What you have done. It's... It's amazing, Aragorn. This tree-"

"Is a _tree_, Legolas," Aragorn interrupted quietly.

"I think we both know that it is a lot more than that," Legolas countered and the Man hesitantly met his gaze. "I am not sure about you, Mortal," the Prince added softly, "but this tree means more to me than the entire wood of my home. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Gazing into his friend's eyes and taking note of the glint of joy held in them, Aragorn suddenly realized that Legolas was not merely referring to the tree, but to something that had much more meaning. Something that they both treasured, perhaps more than anything else in their lives. The friendship that they shared. And _would_share, no matter how much time passed.

A smile spread across the Man's face and he reached out, clasping his friend's shoulder. "Me too, Legolas."

Returning the smile, Legolas drew the Ranger into a warm embrace. "Thank you," he murmured after they pulled back once more. "You will never know how much this means to me. Do you remember what I told you, right before we planted it?"

Silver eyes twinkling, Aragorn answered, "That as long as it stands, the promise that I will always be in your heart will never break."

Legolas smiled.

It is said that the apple tree that stood in the quiet clearing of Rivendell never withered. Legend is that it stood until the ending of the world.

And none, save an Elf and a Ranger, ever knew why.

**fin.**


End file.
